Sanitary shower stall



Aug. 9, 1949. N. B. WICKER ET AL SANITARY SHOWER STALL '2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 6, 1948 Nam/v 6. Mama and INVENTORS.

Arm/Pun.

J r d Patented Aug. 9, 1949 OFFICE SANITARY SHOWER STALL Nolan B. Wicker and Johnny B. Whelchel, Joanna, S. C.

Application December 6, 1948, Serial No. 63,766

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a shower stall and more especially to means for spraying onto the feet of the user of the shower stall a mixture of water and an antiseptic fluid, whereby the feet of the user will be disinfected at the same time he takes a shower.

It is an object of this invention to provide, in combination, a shower stall having a conventional shower head and to provide on the floor of the shower stall a plurality of perforated pipes on which the bather may stand, together with means for forcing a mixture of water and an antiseptic fluid through the perforations in the pipes onto the feet of the user.

It is another object of this invention to provide means for regulating the proportionate amounts of water and antiseptic fluid which are forced through the pipes on the floor of the shower, and to also provide means whereby the flow of fluid through the perforated pipes may be entirely stopped, if so desired.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of a conventional shower stall, with parts broken away and showing other parts schematically, and showing the invention associated therewith;

Figure 2 is a sectional plan view taken along the line 22 in Figure 1 and showing the floor of the shower stall and the perforated pipes disposed thereon;

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral l indicates the wall of a suitable shower stall which is adapted to be placed in a build ing, the numerals II and I2 indicating hot and cold waterpipes, respectively, the pipes H and 12 being connected to any suitable source of hot and cold water, respectively. The hot water pipe H is provided with a conventional manually operable control valve, having a suitable handle it securedii tq a We s ew whi e t e cold water pipe l2 has a similar manually controlled valve provided with a handle I! secured thereto as by a screw I8. The handles !4 and il are provided with annular spacer rings I3 and I6, respectively, which fit against the wall of the shower stall. Extending from the valves in the pipes II and [2, respectively, are branch pipes 13 and 20, which are joined together by a conventional pipe T 21. Extending upwardly from this pipe T 2| is a pipe 22, and this pipe 22 has intermediate its ends another pipe T 23, and the upper end of the pipe 22 extends through the shower wall I ii and has a conventional shower head 24 secured thereon in any suitable manner, the lower surface of this shower head being provided with a plurality of perforations 25 through which water is adapted to be forced.

Extending from the pipe T 23 is a branch pipe 26, to the left-hand end of which in Figure 1 is secured a pipe elbow 21 and this pipe elbow 21 has an uprising branch pipe 28, to the upper end of which is connected an elbow 29, from which extends another branch pipe 30, to the right-hand end of which in Figure 1 is secured an elbow 3|. A pipe 32 connects the lower end of the elbow 3| to the upper end of a valve housing broadly indicated at 33.

This valve housing 33, as may be clearly seen in Figure 3, comprises an upper outer casing 35 and a lower casing 38, and these two casings have, at their proximate edges, out-turned flanges 31 and 38, respectively, between which is adapted to be disposed a resilient and flexible diaphragm member 40, and the two flanges 31 and 38 are secured to each other by means of a plurality of threaded screws 4| which penetrate the two flanges 31 and 38 and the resilient and flexible diaphragm member 40, and these screws 4| are secured in threaded bores in the flange 38. It will be noted that the resilient member 40 serves as a gasket to prevent the escape of water from the valve housing 33. The upper end of the casing 35 is threaded on its interior surface and a hollow plug is adapted to be threaded into the upper end of the casing 35, and this plug 45 is internally threaded for the reception of the pipe 32.

Disposed at the center of the diaphragm member 40 is a round hole through which is adapted to project a rod 50, whose upper end is threaded, and this rod has a nut 5| disposed thereon below the member 4|], which is adapted to normally engage the lower surface of the member 40, and there is disposed above the diaphragm member 40 another nut 52, the lower surface of which is convex and is adapted to engage the diaphra member 40, the nuts 5| and 52 being threaded on the rod 50. The convex surface of nut 52 prevents rupture of the diaphragm 40.

Secured to the lower end of the rod 50 is a valve closure member 55 which is adapted to normally engage a valve seat 56 disposed in the lower casin 36. The rod 50 extends slightly below the valve closure member 5,5 andrhaszdisposed therearound a compression :spring 60,:the lower end of which is disposed around a projection BI, extending upwardly from a plug 62 threadably secured in the lower portion of a hollow ,plug [53, which is identical to the plug 45, and which is threadably secured in the lowerend ofztheqcasin which is mounted a manually operable valve I6 having .a handle .II thereon. The-upper open end of the valve housing 15 is mounted .in (the "bottom Ofn iiflhevalve It :may bet-moved to closed position to prevent-passage of fluid into 1 the pipe 10 from the storage tankrilll, ,this tank being adapted to contain ;any suitable antiseptic solution or germicide. I t 1s obvious thatin nor- ;m o ation of this apparatu the valve 5 ouid rema n in open pos tion. but th valve may be closed if t is desired ;to eliminate the us -t c ap a Extending item and secured in the :lettehand portion f the up er casing a ip.e=85 ,1and to the left-hand end r which is t a ab cured an elbow 8'5 and fi hl @1h0Wl1 1fi S threadahly secured therein and ,exliendingldovmnwardlytherefrom another pipe Bl, the lowerendpf which is adapted to be h eada lysecunec in a yalve housing 88 Extendin iromandsecured the lefth p rt o of the ower casing $5, in fi r s 1 and a, is a p pe 90 to the left-hand end (if-which is threadably secured an elbow ;9I and this elbow 9! has a d wnwardly exten in p pe 32 thready secured ther Th eadably secured to th lo e d o pe -32 is another elbow 93, and this elbow 93 has a short pipe 504 threadably mounted therein a it ight-hand end. the left-ehand end of this p pe 94 be ng threadahly secured in the valve housing 88.

Disposed above the po nt of c.o.nl'1cctil0I1 f the s t pe 94 to th ya ve ous ng :88 :is a valve b t s own in igure :1, and this valve I00 has secured on its Outer end ahan le "H, as by a screw I02, and the handle I-0;I is adapted {to be rotated in a clockwise direction in Figure 1 to close the valve I00 when so desired,

Extending f m and threadably mounted in the lower portion of the valve housing 88 is a pipe I05, whose lower end is adapted to be connected to an elbow I and this elbow I00 is connected at its right-hand end in Figure 2 to a pipe or tubular member I0I, the right-hand end of which in Figure 2 is closed.

This tubular member I01 has a plurality of flatanother tubular member I I5 secured to the closed end of each of the pipes IIO for the purpose of supporting the same, as is shown in Figures 2 and 6. There is disposed in one corner of the area defined by the pipes I I 0 a plate I on which the user of the shower may stand while he regulates the fiow of water to the shower.

Each of the tubular members I0! and I I5 is adapted ,to rest on the floor I2I of the shower stall, and the shower stallis provided with a conventional drain I22, for draining water from :the shower stall.

lnoperation, the user of the shower stands on the plate I20 and turns the handles I4 and IT to ,ropenitheir respective valves to thus admit water from the pipes II and I2, through the p pes 20 and 22 to the shower head 24 and thus the water is forced through the perforations 25. Now, as the water flows through the pipe 22, it will flow into the pipe 22- and through the pipes 28 and 130-110 the upperend-of the casing 35. As the water'enters the upper casing 35, since it is under pressure, it will force the resilient diaphragm memberOdownwardly, against the compression of spring 50, which will open the valve 55, through the rod 50, and this will permit the antiseptic fluid in the tank '80 to flow through the pipe I0 into theright-handside of the lower casing 130.

The Water after entering the upper casing and forcing :the resilient member 40 downwardly, will flow through the pipe 85,, the elbow and the pipe Bl into .the valve housing 88. At the same time, the antiseptic :fluid will flow through f fi p pes 90, 02 and 94 "into the lower portion of the valve housing 85, and with the valve I00 in open position, theantiseptic fluid and the water will be mixed together in the valve housing '88 and will then :fiow as a mixture through the pipe I05 and the elbow I06 into the tubular pipe I01 and thus into the perforated flat-topped pipes H0, which will allow the mixture of water and antiseptic .fluid to escape through the perforations l I -I. The antiseptic vfluid may haveasuitable perfume mixed therewith, if desired.

After the user of the shower Thas adjusted the water to the desired temperature, he will step from the plate I20 onto the pipes 110, and it is thus seen that only water will flow from the shower head 24, through the perforations 25,

onto the users body, and that the mixture of water and antiseptic fluid will flow from the perforations III onto the feet of the user, thereby serving to disinfect the feet .of the user.

It is manifest that the proportionate amounts of water and antiseptic fluid being forced through the pipes IIO maybe regulated by means of the manually controlled valve 100, or by valve I0, or both of these valves.

By means of the valve I6, the rate of how of the antiseptic fluid from the tank 80 may be regulated, or the flow of antiseptic fluid may be entirely shut off by closing completely the valve I6, and with the valve I00 in closed position, no water or antiseptic fluid would be caused to flow through the pipes IIO.

It is thus seen that means have been provided whereby antiseptic fluid may be sprayed onto the feet of the user of a conventional shower bath and whereby the concentration of the antiseptic with relation to the water may be regulated, or the flow of water and antiseptic fluid to the feet of the user may be entirely stoppedr In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense, only, and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

We claim:

1. In a shower bath comprising a floor, side walls, a drain, a source of supply of hot water, a source of supply of cold water, a shower head, and means for regulating the flow of hot and cold water to the shower head, a storage tank for antiseptic fluid and the like, a plurality of periorated pipes disposed on the floor of the shower, a pipe line connecting the tank for the antiseptic fluid to the plurality of perforated pipes disposed on the floor of the shower, a pipe line connecting the sources of supply of hot and cold water to the first-named pipe line, and automatically operable means disposed in the first-named pipe line for admitting water and antiseptic fluid to the perforated pipes disposed on the floor of the shower.

2. In a structure according to claim 1, means for regulating the amounts of water and antiseptic fluid admitted to the perforated pipes.

3. In a shower bath having a shower head and a water pipe leading from a source of water under pressure to the shower head, a source of fluid, a perforated member disposed below the shower head on which a bather may stand, a fluid conducting pipe leading from the source of fluid to the perforated member, a connection between the water pipe and the fluid conducting pipe, and adjustable means in said connection for regulating the amount of fluid which is mixed with the water during its travel to the perforated member.

4. In a shower bath having a shower head and a water pipe leading from a source of water under pressure to the shower head, a source of fluid, a perforated member disposed below the shower head, a fluid conducting pipe leading from the source of fluid to the perforated member, a connection between the water pipe and the fluid conducting pipe, and adjustable means in said connection for regulating the amount of fluid which is mixed with the water during its travel to the perforated member.

5. In a shower bath comprising a shower head and a water pipe connecting the shower head to a source of water under pressure, control means disposed in said pipe for regulating the flow of water therethrough, a storage tank for antiseptic fluid, spray means disposed near the bottom of the shower bath, a piped connection between the storage tank and the spray means, a second piped connection between the first piped connection and the water pipe, said control means being operable to regulate the flow of antiseptic fluid to the spray means.

6. In a structure according to claim 5, said means for connecting the storage tank to the spray means comprising a valve housing, a @branch pipe leading from the water pipe to one end of the valve housing, a branch pipe leading from the storage tank to the other end of the valve housin means disposed within the valve housing for closing and opening the branch pipe from the storage tank and operable by water pressure from the first-named branch pipe for opening and closing the branch pipe from the storage tank, a third branch pipe extending from the end of the valve housing to which the first-named branch pipe is connected, a fourth branch pipe extending from the end of the valve housing to which the second-named branch pipe is connected, a second valve housing, the thirdnamed branch pipe being connected to one end of the second-named valve housing, and the fourth-named branch pipe being connected to the other end of the second-named valve housing, whereby when water under pressure is admitted to the first-named branch pipe, the means for opening and closing the second-named branch pipe will be actuated, thereby admitting water and antiseptic fluid to the second-named valve housing through the third-named and fourth-named branch pipes,

7. In a structure according to claim 6, means mounted in the second-named valve housing for regulating the relative flow of the water and the antiseptic fluid from the third-named and fourth-named branch pipes, and for entirely stopping the flow of water from the third-named branch pipe.

NOLAN B. WICKER. JOHNNY B. WHELCI-IEL.

No references cited. 

